Telling lies leads to a temperature increase

When a person tells a lie the temperature of the nose increases, which is equivalent to a kind of “Pinocchio Effect”, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Grenada have found the temperature of the nose and in the orbital muscle in the inner corner of the eye increases when a person lies. The study also found that the temperature of the face also increases as a result of anxiety (it also decreased whilst a person undertakes extensive mental effort). All of this was assessed, the New Zealand Herald reports, using a special type of temperature monitoring and asking subjects to undergo experiments.

The study used a technique called thermography (a means of recording images of the body heat). Thermography, an infrared imaging science, is not a new method, it was developed during the Second World War to detect the enemy in the night. However, it has not often been applied to in the field of psychology.

The temperature rise happens, scientists have postulated, because the brain part “Insula” (or insular cortex) is activated, when we lie. This part is present deep in the cerebral cortex and it is involved in the detection and regulation of body temperature.

The research was led by Emilio Gómez Milán and Elvira Salazar López. The next step is to apply thermography to determine body fat patterns, which can be useful in weight loss and training programs.